Reversible mountain-climber.



110.754.577. 1 PATENTBD MAR.15,1904. N.LAUB.

REVERSIBLE-MOUNTAIN GLIMBER.

l APPLIcATIoN Hmm AUG. 4. 1902. No MODEL.

NICHOLAUS LAUB, F LGS ANGELES, CALFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONEHALF TO LUDWIG WUNDHAMMER, OF LOS' ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

Patented March, i904.

artnr unica@ nei/Essie@ Moummwotnnen.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,577, dated March 15,1904,

Application filed August 4, 1902. Serial No. 118,388. (No model.)

y To `cri/ZZ whom t may concern.'

Beit known that I, NIeHoLAUs LAUB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Reversible Mountain-Climber, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is .to provide means for increasing the convenience of ascendingand descending steep hills and moon tains. g t

lin carrying out this invention means are provided for the .attachment of a lift interchangeably beneath either the heel or sole of the foot to adapt the device for use in ascend ingor descending the hill or mountainside.

Another object of the invention isfto prov videineans for holding said adjustable device in place and when not thus in use to serve to prevent slipping.

ln this invention a sole for footwear is provided ywith shouldered studs at the heel and ball of. the sole and a lift havinga slanting bottom which is adapted and arranged for interchangeable attachment to said heel and ball ofthe sole.

The accompanying drawings .illustrate the invention and the best mode in which l contemplate applying the same.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of a pair of mountain-climbers embodying my invention, the reversible attachment being adjusted in position for climbing a mountain side. Fig. Il is a View of the bottom of the same with the reversible member detached and inverted to show the top thereof. Fig. III is aview of the device, in a reduced scale, adjusted fordcscent. Fig. 1V is a longitudinal sectional View of the device with a preferred form of extensible block or lift foi-the sole. Fig. V is a midsectional View ofthe non-extensihle block or lift. Fig. V1 is a sectional View oi the lift, illustrating the under side of the bolt substantially shown in Figs. lVand V for fastening thc block against turning. Fig. VH is a ragmental detail, partly in section, illustrating the slot-and-shouldered stud fastening betweenthe sole and block.

' l designates in a general way a sole desirM ably formed of a heel-piece 2 and a toe-piece 3,' 5 Q 4 connected together by a slot-and-screw: con#u 'gj nection -i and 5, respectively. This' sole isl` adapted to be fastened to the boot or shoe in the customary way by fasteners 6. 'l`hese'` l, parts may be variously constructed and variously secured together. In the form shown.,

the sole is formed of two pieces of sheet metall` fl pointed portions of which are bent downtdA forni calks or teeth 7st the sides ot' the heele' section and 8 at the sides of the toe-section. 6o

9 designates two toe-calks formed by bend-f` M ,Y

ing the front end of the toe-piece 3 of the sole down, as shown in Figs. II, IH, and IV@ l() and li are shouldered studs desiralbly"`r pointed to form strong calks for holding the ,651] lift l2 in position at the rearV and frontof the soie interchangeable. i3 is a slot in the head 14 of the lift. rlhe slotted head le and the shouldered studs 10i. and ll. provide the slot-and-stud connection for fastening the lift l2 to the rear or front portion of the sole interchangeably. Pnefl I erably the shouldered stud has 'a cylindrical s portion o to lit a circular portion E) of the slot 13 and has also shoulders 'c and d. The slot 75 has notches fand g through which the shoulders c and (Z may pass when the lift is being brought into position on the sole in the usual f, i way of making' a slot-and-stud connection.

The lift has an inclined bottom li, which is 840` 'l arranged aslant relative to the head 14, and has a cross wall or platel 15, and below such cross wall or plate is a rim 16, desirably provided with teeth 17. The plate l5 is arranged aslant relative to the head 14, and the rim 16 85` projects downward therefrom a short distance and desirably flares so that any earthy mate- N 4rial which might otherwise pack in the opening will not be liable to pack, and in this manner thc teeth of the lift arekept in condition for preventing slipping. The shell of the lift is preferably in the form of a truncated cone, which construction gives additional strength and a broad substantial tread.

18 is a bolt desirably arranged to enter the hole 19 iu the sole 1 to hold the lift 12 from turning to release it from the shouldered stud 10. Said bolt may be mounted on a. spring' 20 inside the shell which forms the lift. Said. spring` 20 may be curved, as shown, to avoid the attaching-studs.

21 is a knob or finger-piece by which the bolt 18 may be manually withdrawn from tlie hole or bolt-socket 19 to allow the lift to be disengaged from thc sole. Said knob may play through a slot 22 in the shell of the lift 12. It is to be understood, however, that any suitable kind of latch may be used to retain 'the lift in the locked or operative position by preventing a turning` movement thereof.

In practice the lift may be applied to the rear stud 1() for ascending the mountain or hill side and to the front stud 11 `for descending. 'In Figs. I and III these reverse positions of the lift are shown.

Thelift may be made extensible, as shown in Fig. IV, in whichcase an outer shell 28 telescopes upon an inner shell 24: and is held by a spring-catch 25, which catches in seats 26 in the inner she1l' 221.

27 is a slot in the;` outer shell to allow said shell to pla. freelywithout interfering with `the finger-piece 21.

The holes 19 near the studs 10 and 11, respectively, are oppositcly arranged relative to their respective studs, so that when the lift is applied to the stud 10 and is turned to bring lthe bolt 18 into the hole 19the`downward slant of the lift will'be rearward, and when the lift is applied to the front stud 11 and the bolt 18 is broughtin the hole 19 for said stud l1 the downward slant of the lift will be forward.

,l The heel-piece 2 and the toe-piece 3 may be adjusted to fit the boot or shoe by loosening the screw 5, adjusting the parts, and again tightening said screw in the ordinary manner.

The teeth and calks serve to prevent slip'- ping on ice or crusted snow, and the device may be used as an ice-Creeper on the level by removing the lift.

When the device is in use on the boot or shoe, it protects the same and preserves it from Wear. t 4 It is to be understood that this invention leomprises a sole for footwear and a beveled lift for a shouldered stud-and-slot fastening for holding' the lift and sole together and a lbolt to prevent the lift from turning to release ,said fastening regardless of the specilied form and', arrangement which I have shown in the ,drawings a Having shown the form which I at the present deem preferable, I reserve the right to make any and all modifications of the invention which may be covered by the Jfollowing claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isf- 1. A sole having downwardlyprojecting studs at front and rear, a lift whichv has its bottom aslant, and means fo/r attaching the lift interchangeably to the front and rear of the sole.

2. A sole, a detachable lift applicable interchangeably to front and rear of the sole, having its bottom aslant, and means detachably attaching' the lift to the sole.

A sole, adetachable lift applicable interchangeably to front and rear of the sole, having its bottom aslant, and arranged with points to prevent slipping, and means for interchangeablly attaching the lift to front and rear of the so e.

A. A sole having shouldered studs at front and rear, a lift having a slotted head to receive and retain the studs, respectively, and

. a bolt to prevent the lift from turning. l

5. A sole having shoulderedlcalks at front and rear and a lift adapted for attachment to said cal ks interchangeably and having a slantin g' bottom, and means to prevent the'lift from turning;

6. A sole adapted to be secured to a boot or shoe and formed of sheet metal having downbent points at the sides and with calks at the heel and ball of thesole, and a lift having a slanting bottom, said lift'beingl provided with means for interchangeable attachment to said heel and ball calks. i

y7. A sole adapted to be secured to a boot or shoe-and having calks at frontand rear, a lift provided with means for attachment to the front or rear calk of said sole, said litt having a slanting bottom.

8. A sole adapted to be secured toaboot or shoe and having calks at front and rear, alift having a slanting toothed bottom, said lift Aprovided with means for interchangeable attachment to the front and rear calk of said sole. 9. A sole, a detachable lift for said sole, Said lift having an inclined tread, means for attaching said lift to the rear portion of the sole with the tread inclined in one direction, and means for attaching 'the lift tothe' forward portion ofl the sole with thetread inclined in the reverse direction. i A

10. A sole, a hollow detachable'lift for said sole, a slot-and-stud connectiony for securing said lift to said sole, the slotted portion of said connection being formed in the lift, a

movable bolt mounted in the lift adjacent to. the slot, and adapted to engage a socket pro'l IOO IIO

ils.

vided therefor in the sole, a spring normally manually withdrawing said bolt from vsaid retaining said bolt in engagement with A.said socket. A

socket, said spring being curved to avoid the In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name 15 stud, and means for manually withdrawing to this specification, in the presence of two subthe bolt from the socket. soriloing witnesses; at Los Angeles, in the 11. A sole formed of a heel-piece and a toecounty of Los Angeles and State of'Californa,

l piece adjustably connected together, fasteners this 30th day of July, 1902. V

adapted to secure lsaid sole to a shoe, a lift having an inelined,tread, a slot-and-stud oon- NICHOLAUS LAUB neetion for securing said lift to said sole, a Witnesses:

v spring-pressed bolt normallyengaging a socket JAMEs R. TOWNSEND,

provided therefor in the sole, and lmeans for LUDWIG WUNDHAMMER. 

